Finlay McNab

Finlay Duncan McNab (died 6 March 1836) was a Scottish-American settler who was one of the many founders of the Republic of Texas, heading to Texas at the suggestion of his friend Zave Campbell and James Bowie. He was killed at the Battle of the Alamo in March 1836.

Biography
Finlay McNab was born in Northern Ireland, Great Britain to a family of Protestant Ulster Scots, and he emigrated to the United States later in his life, settling in Tennessee. He lost a wife and two young daughters to cholera, and he had only his son Otto by his side; through Otto, he met James Bowie. Bowie encouraged McNab to come to Texas with him, as there was plenty of rich land that had yet to be settled; Bowie showed McNab a letter from his friend Zave Campbell that invited him to come to Texas. Bowie told McNab that, if he were to marry a Mexican wife, he could be able to have a nice property for him and his son. McNab agreed to write to Stephen F. Austin due to his exasperation with working for other people.

Life in Texas
McNab and his son were ferried across a river by Maddie Quimper, and they were quick to join the local community. He married Maria Trinidad Garza, the sister of his new acquaintance Benito Garza, marrying into Spanish royalty. However, he would develop a sour relationship with Benito Garza, as McNab was angry that Garza decided to join the Mexican Army rather than the Texan rebels. In 1836, McNab decided to head to the Alamo to join the Texas Army; he was in Gonzales to recruit some stock traders when he was recruited into the militia. He took part in the Texans' last stand at the Alamo in March, and McNab and Campbell were both killed, being placed side-by-side on a cart. Garza wanted to bury the two of them, but General Martin Perfecto de Cos informed Garza that Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had forbidden the burial of Texan rebels.